we did
by seinooo.kcvii
Summary: ...Tifa and Reno. He met her and she met him. Where does that grow to? For Speedy Speck. AU.
1. Chapter 1

For **Speedy Speck**, with hearts and lotsa **apologies**. **._.**

Anyways, here's something with a very … disconnected title, typos and grammatical errors. Enjoy.

I own nothing.

* * *

_we did_

A petite young woman with obvious traits of those of Wutai descent was skipping ahead across the road. "Tifaaa, hurry UP!" she called to her raven-haired companion. The day was fairly busy and Aerith had strategically picked a time for her newly established 'flower base' as Yuffie called it.

"W-wait up, Yuffie! Shiva, why did you made me wear these? I don't wear stilettos unless necessary," her companion replied from the obscured parking lot a level higher and emerged seconds after, looking somewhat annoyed by the loud, clacking shoes she was currently in. She had nothing against shoes or heels in general but wearing the black stilettos she loved…for the sake of _matching_. That was going to draw a lot of attention for sure. …On the grand opening of Aerith's new shop.

"Weeell, Aerith wanted to have something matching." Yuffie flipped a strand of her hair over and over and she was starting to regret not wearing her hairclip. Once Tifa reached Yuffie, they began walking calmly among the newcomers, looking for Aerith or just a flash of conspicuous pink around the overly-green, leaf-filled building.

"If you ask me, matching heels sounds ridiculous."

"Not really matching, but the colors are."

"…Bite me—" Tifa was facing Yuffie as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, walking…

"Uh, Tifa, watch ou—"

"— twice, Yuff—oof! Tifa bumped right to a person and almost swung to the ground rearward, losing her balance but the impact never came as a strong arm secured her in spot. In a very awkward, compromising way. Earthy brown eyes met entrancing, deep aqua. The two clashing colors bore deeply into each other; a mixture of warm and cool on both sides.

"Here I was wondering why an angel slammed onto me," he said, almost a whisper in hopes that only she could hear him. The proximity of their faces was obvious that Tifa found herself stuttering to find the right words to release her…

"Um, I–ah…"

"Oh, she turns red like a strawberry too." The man grinned with his enticing eyes shining and flaring hair swayed slightly like flickering flames.

…_the right words to release her_ while making an effort to fight down the blush. "Le … ease." Again, it was hard to say it out loud let alone make a decent sentence out of it.

"Come again?"

"Letmegoplease," she muttered, tearing her gaze away from him and from the corner of her eyes, she could see Yuffie giving her an evil grin as she entered the shop.

"Care to repeat?" he pressed. His breath was hovering on her face as he spoke and it was making her feel butterflies thrashing in her stomach. To avoid further display of bashfulness, Tifa did what she can do best. Snap.

"For Shiva's sake, just let me go!"

"… 'kay, then." He let her go in a sudden and she landed on her butt gracelessly.

"Owie… What do you do that for?" Tifa swept her leg underneath him but he sidestepped, evading it neatly.

He raised his hands in defense. "You told me to."

"Jerk. I wonder why you're here…" she mumbled and staggered up, brushing imaginary dusts off her. After sticking her tongue out at him, she walked to her designated place with a huff.

He just ran a hair through his fiery locks before muttering, "You look familiar, y'know that, beautiful?"

He wondered why, he wondered when and how the heck did his head started to think about her. Where was it? Where had he seen her before? Sometime, somewhere he couldn't remember, that's for sure.

'_I wonder why you're here…'_ he repeated silently. _Well, can't I?_ He headed to the looming greenhouse where it was his rendezvous with his friends – Lifestream Fresh Flowers – the same direction she had stormed off to.


	2. Chapter 2

Within the premises of the shop, Aerith sat on a bench with an undeniably sobbing Tifa next to her, almost squeezing her to death. Yuffie suppressed a laugh watching Tifa hunched up like that. "There, there," Aerith cooed, patting Tifa's back as she sobbed onto her shoulder. "There, there." She didn't have any clue what to say to her friend other than repeating 'there'.

"Shiva," the raven-haired woman began. "Of all things, _him_." _Why can't it be a pole or a wall or something_?

Yuffie grinned as she remembered the conversation she had with Tifa in the car earlier, which was the unknown repetition of Tifa's disjointed tale; a sudden kiss with a stranger when she was drunk – which he _might_ be, too. "Ooh, was that the one? Last month?"

Tifa nodded with an 'mmhm'. "Though I barely remember things before and after that… I only remembered his face, and…" She unconsciously raised her fingers to her lips, touching them softly. Aerith stifled a giggle while Yuffie slid a finger down Tifa's spine and that made her gasp. Sexily. The gasp was practically loud enough for some people around their area as turned their heads towards the three of them. After stuttering 'sorry's, Tifa pulled her sleeves up as she cracked her knuckles. "Yuffie …"

"Ooh, now there's a sexy side I haven't known that's in you, Teef." Yuffie laughed out loud with both hands on her hips, proud of her recent discovery as she evaded Tifa's oncoming fist. Had she known that sooner, she'd leave Tifa breathless during their sleepovers. "Tell me more about him, Teef."

"Um, there, … there?" Aerith said.

"Stop that, Aerith," said Tifa before turning back to Yuffie.

"But I thought you'd need it."

Tifa shook her head. "Not anymore. Also, Yuff, I don't want to talk about him right now."

Yuffie managed a laugh. Louder this time and was muffled by Aerith from behind. "You are pointing at that topic now," she managed.

"Look at him. He's there, far away from me, standing—"

"—tall and steady, having a pretty lithe body and from his hairstyle, he looks like he has a wild streak in him," Aerith said, scanning him from end to end critically like choosing a new hair care product.

"Think so. I bet he can take down ten shots of tequila or more without making a face," Yuffie giggled. The two began inching away from Tifa discreetly.

"Ten? I'd stop at one. Do you think he's Tifa's type?"

"Why not? He's hot and looks like he probably works out everyday. Diligent."

"Hmm… I've decided for our mythical Tifa here!" Aerith announced and pulled Yuffie away, snickering as she did.

Tifa rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. Mythical? Since when did she become such an unidentified object? She had a thought when, though. Since she refused any blind dates the girls hooked her up with. She'd always end up twisting her partner's arm and leaving a threat whilst she was alone with whoever he would be. While Yuffie and Aerith were infectiously giggling and laughing amongst themselves, Tifa turned to the fresh patch of blooming white blossoms. Lilies. Aerith's favorite. Yuffie, on the other hand, would be white … roses. On some occasion, anyone would find that girl stating that she's one.

Her favorite? … She wouldn't mind a guessing game on it. She let a small trace of grin play on her lips at the thought as she hummed a small tune. Something then caught her attention, a bud of a small plant on a table. The others were already opening but that one hadn't started.

Her thoughts once again wandered off to that certain redhead.

_He was so close._

And her body acted as if she had wanted that. She didn't push him away.

-- -- --

"Hey, Tseng. Why are we here again?" Reno lazily yawned as he stretched his arms, cracking the knuckles.

Tseng, his ever so stoic boss sipped his cocktail a little. "This is an opening ceremony—"

"Done out of politeness. That's like you. Right, Rude? Let's go say hello to the owner then." Rude nodded and went along with Reno to where Yuffie and Aerith were. _So …_ _Eenie meenie miney mo. She'd have to be the hot one earlier._

Which was obviously wrong.

Reno didn't get to let his eyes wander any more than the upper half of the woman he'd just encountered. She was in that corner and his view was blocked by a younger woman who was grinning form ear to ear, greeting him with a sing-song 'hi'.

Small, loud and enthusiastic … _Should be Kisaragi's daughter_.

"Hey," he nodded and tried to move over to his main object of interest. Rude grabbed his shoulder and he stopped, confused.

"Aerith Gainsborough. The owner," Rude said, pushing his shades on place before motioning his head to a woman in a conspicuous pink dress. She greeted all of them with a happy smile.

"Ah," Aerith said, when she heard that they were there because of Tseng, their boss. "Of course. Isn't he here?"

"We kind of went ahead of him. He's still there though, your loveliness," he said, taking Aerith's knuckle before kissing it.

"Charmed to know you, Reno," she said after getting her hand back. _Really_. _I can see why she refuses to forget about you_. Aerith had said his name slightly louder, hoping that Tifa might hear her. She gave a brief glance to where her friend was. She did nothing at all. She didn't move from her spot, nor did she fluster around, looking for a space to hide. _Boring!_ Wasn't she loud enough?

Rude only gave both of the ladies a brief handshake each and was constantly confused by Yuffie's extreme happiness. She seemed too happy, in fact. If he was interested by that, he didn't show.

In the middle of their friendly chat, Reno excused himself.

"And he thinks we didn't know," Aerith said, nudging Yuffie. "I can see something."

Yuffie laughed. "Oh, yes. So how are things between you and Zack? I want full details."

"Oh, the usual. He pees everywhere and tears things apart like the puppy he is. Whiney." The two women walked off to where Tseng and Elena were with a more confused Rude dragged by Yuffie.

_Teef_. Tifa. Teef. Tifa. Teef. _Tifa_. Reno liked how it sounds.

There he saw her, standing alone with a finger stroking a bud of a small, unnamed flower. It had yet to bloom. His attention shifted back to her. That single gesture. Other than fondness, it simply screamed _yearning_. Of what, he didn't know.

"Reno," he said. She looked up as she pulled her hand, frowning slightly when she saw him. How he'd love to stare into her eyes longer. He found them pretty dark for someone who was born in a cold place. Reno inwardly shook his head. _What the …_ How did he know about that? Pretty _and_ dark, he corrected himself.

She then returned her gaze to that small plant. "That flower's name is Reno," he said, grinning.

Tifa rolled her eyes, sighing. "And I'm a lily." After a while they stood apart in silence, Reno repeated his name and shuffled a step, effectively reducing their distance. "I _heard_," she replied, still not looking at him.

"And you?"

"Must we do this?" she sighed as she continued to stare at the flower bud.

"Yep. Unless you want to call me by 'dude' or 'stranger'. In which I won't accept for those who came across me."

She flashed him a wide grin. "I'll take 'stranger' even though I _do_ have a feeling I've met you before."

Reno shrugged. "I'll still call you Teef."

"Don't call me like you know me." Anger flared in her eyes. _Don't_. That name was only reserved for those who were close to her. A pet name she'd always loved, started by Cloud, the man who left her alone. This person beside her who had latched himself to her suddenly just had the nerves to call her that.

"I wouldn't mind getting to know you, _Teef_. Besides, I got the feeling we really met before."

Tifa parted her lips to say something especially rude to him when she realized something she had never told him before, her name. "Hold it. What did you say?"

"Hm? Said I wouldn't mind—"

"_Teef_. …How did you know my name?"

"I _heard_ your friend, sweet cheeks. 'sides, I'm not that far from where I was earlier."

_Shiva, this man has ears like a cat's!_

"Third and nth time, …Tifa. My name's Reno. Also, this ... _cat_ would prefer you a butterfly than a flower."

Tifa found his gaze as she shot her head up. "W-what?"

Reno gave her a wink before he sashayed to where his friends were. Tifa blinked as she watched him go. Had she said that out loud earlier? Thinking back on it, she actually muttered that through her teeth. Still … So those were how sharp the hearing of a professional who was expected to …

Wait. Professional what? Why professional? How was she going to complete that sentence—'_expected to _…'

And something inside her was stirring. She knew it, somewhere; she'd met him but couldn't remember when or where. "Reno…" Unconsciously she lifted her hand to her lips, mumbling. "Have we really … ?" So he too had that feeling. The fact she couldn't remember any more than the kiss angered her more.

For once, she wondered. Would he remember that small incident the way she did?

* * *

Sneak peek:

_Eliminate Tifa Lockhart._

That's it. A client's request.

A blur of black went up next to his stool. As he raised his head, his eyes feasted on the very vision of her starting from bottom to top. She was there in the flesh. He didn't know whether to remain aloof and laidback at the same time or to act heavily drunk and pass out in the middle of a sentence. He never even touched his drink for Odin's sake. _Pathetic, Reno_.

"Hi," she said, taking a seat. He could smell the faint vanilla scent emitting from her. "I'm Tifa."

-- -- --

"… Not so much that I would find you annoying."

"Not much? —oh." Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Oh," she said, louder. She stopped dead in her tracks. "Am I annoying you?"

"No. I didn't mean it that way—"

"I am, aren't I? Should've known," she huffed as she began to walk away, neatly avoiding passers-by.

_Way to go, shithead_. Reno clicked his tongue in annoyance as he strode over, keeping up with her.


	3. Chapter 3

"I think I'm in love."

"Not surprised. Knowing you, you'd fall out of it soon," Rude spoke, holding his phone in place as he rummaged his pocket for his keys. "You're the type of person who messes up quickly either by words or actions." Rude was getting home and when he had finally reached his destination, his phone rang and Reno had immediately blurted out the words he had heard often.

"But Rude, this is different, man!" Reno's voice from the other end seemed sure. Happy, to say the least. He'd been gloomy for the rest of his days since he'd return from a 'sudden date' with someone last month.

"That's probably the … forty-seventh time you said that. So, what of it?"

"You know I love boobies," he said before bursting into laughter. "Boobs and beer."

"Get a life."

"Hey, I have a life. And I was half serious."

"About you having a life?"

"Before that."

"Let me rephrase that … So which one are you serious falling in love with? Boobs _or_ beer?"

"Stop kiddin', man. Fuck it."

"… Alright. Who is it?"

"The one with long hair and killer heels."

"Sure, that helps."

Reno realized his mistake. Tifa _and_ Aerith had long hair … and all three of the girls wore the same type of—oh, _great_. Reno rubbed the back of his neck. "Riiight. If there's a desk nearby, I'd headdesk myself, man. Why do women love to confuse men? She's the one who's got black hair."

" … Can you be specific once in a while?"

"What the- I just- _Che_. She's Tifa Lockhart, single, 23 years old; sings a lot, three measurements are 36D, 26, 36, born in Nibelheim, came to Midgar a few years ago with her childhood friend, Cloud Strife. She joined a band with him and works part time with someone who had taken care of her and full time in Avalanche, and fuck I don't even know what I am talking about and how I know all that."

Silence. Rude coughed seconds after. "Her? _Dude _…"

"Don't ask. I'm stumped myself," Reno sighed, "thanks anyways."

"Sure, glad I helped, if I did. You are right on the singing part. Didn't know how you know the others, though." Bleep.

Somehow he knew her somewhere.

_Sure you do. It's the boobs._

Not just having her face flash within his mind numerous of times, infecting his thoughts.

_You're in denial. It has to be her boobies._

It was her touch. Her smile. The feel of her lips carefully brushing against his.

_I'm telling you it is. Probably one of those you've slept with. Literally and metaphorically._

And the rest was just blurry. He remembered nothing else. Were they together before?

_BOOBSDAMNYOU._

"Yeah, right."

_YOU CAN'T SAY NO TO THAT, ASSHOLE._

As he made his way up to his apartment, his thoughts were constantly on her while mentally fighting with his conscience.

Tifa seemed so guarded. Where had he seen her before? He had a feeling he knew her somewhere. The problem is, he couldn't remember anything at all. Someone must have spiked his drink with amnesia greens at one point or another. Kicking an open magazine aside as he shuffled across his room and lay down on his back, grumbling.

As if on cue, his mind raced back to last month. Last month…what had he done now? Ah, yes. Getting his booze break and it was that particular night he had finally met her face to face. Talked to her.

_Finally_? Exactly why was that? His head swam for various things that could possibly be the reason and he hit the right one.

_Eliminate Tifa Lockhart._

That's it. A client's request.

A blur of black went up next to his stool. As he raised his head, his eyes feasted on the very vision of her starting from bottom to top. She was there in the flesh. He didn't know whether to remain aloof and laidback at the same time or to act heavily drunk and pass out in the middle of a sentence. He never even touched his drink for Odin's sake. _Pathetic, Reno_.

"Hey," she said, taking a seat. He could smell the faint vanilla scent emitting from her. "I'm Tifa."

Reno waved a hand dismissively. "I know, love. Reno. _I wonder why you're here_…" She was a vision to behold. He didn't think someone like her would be 50, 000 Gils. If it was his call, he'd pay a larger amount.

"Well, _can't I_? I saw you coming over every week but you never talk to anyone except for your friend. Do you mind me asking why?" She nodded when the bartender asked her for her usual.

"Nah. Came here to see someone. It hit me that she's the one who is always unattainable to me. Just didn't expect her to y'know, come down to the crowd t'night." Tifa nodded slowly while sipping the drink she had just got.

"So… you talked to her yet? Does she know you've been waiting?"

"More and less, yes and no. Well, probably yes." He didn't care if she took the hint or not. He'd been there for a long time now. On that same seat, mostly alone and sometimes with Rude.

She narrowed her eyes, as if to believe him or not. "You … do know I know, right?"

_Ah, so she knew_. Reno ruffled her hair as he grinned. "Heh. I'm amazed. Ten points for you, gorgeous."

Tifa raised her hands to her heart and feigned a hurt expression, letting out a soft gasp. "Aww, ten? You wound my heart."

"Do I now? I really thought you're the one who got my heart. You should really remove your arrow and mend the wound."

"Did anyone ever tell you you're lame?"

"Yep, lots."

She laughed along with him. That wasn't just what they did together. They spent a long time talking, getting to know each other despite the loud blaring pounds from the woofers almost drowning their voices. She loved and practiced self defense since she was younger. She had a great love for kids. Singing in the band was just her guilty pleasure. She had a stable job which she had mention as 'great'. —those he knew. He did observe.

It's his job.

What he didn't observe was what she had ordered this time. Strong stuff, guaranteed to make oneself instantly drunk.

"May I … entice you for a dance?" she asked suddenly after gulping down her newest cocktail. Tifa didn't wait for a reply. She grinned and pulled him to his feet, dragging him through the mass of people to the dance floor. She wouldn't take no as an answer. He had a choice back then, whether to snatch his hand away and keep it professional; befriending the victim, leading her to a silent, happy death if he could. Or to immediately pounce on her in the multicolored crowd.

_Shit_. _Think fast, Reno!_

She was leading him to the center of the dance floor. How he disliked being touched and nudged by unknown people. It was offending to him. Rude had always been right; with all the touches swiping and array of limbs flailing everywhere, everything can be equalized to a mass orgy where people can have sex with their clothes on. Now he knew why Rude had always refused to take a step on the dance floor. How Tifa skillfully evade each and every one of them while holding his hand, he never knew. He might have an idea of it, though. She _is_ a martial artist, he thought.

Her hands coaxed his to slide over her flat stomach and holding her firmly by the side, making his hand itch maddeningly. And with the flexibility of a fighter she had moved with the beat, urging him to do the same as her back fitted to his torso, teasing him to no ends.

"Tifa—"

_I'm fucked._

She doesn't seem to be listening to him.

He tried again after gulping down hard. "… Teef." And he was ignored yet again. His mind had tried to force his limbs to stop. Failure. On the other hand, his working little mind seemed to whisper his latter choice of action earlier, instant death. He would then go home paid, happy and—

… Vanilla.

Although it was clearer now, it was surprisingly mellow to his sense of smell. Different from others who shared a brief dance with him. They'd be either having too strong of this and that or smell like they'd just jumped into a pool of some sort of fruit.

He leaned closer to her, having decided to instantly love the scent and the view under his nose, her slender neck. Heck, if he were a vampire, nothing would stop him from sinking his teeth to it.

At that moment there was only her and her alone. His ears paid no heed to the pounds and all in the background blurred.

Then, in a slow motion, she turned to face him with her sweet, slow hands trailing fire up his holy abs and reached his shoulders. The temptress in front of him smiled, her fingers now playing with his hair. It was in that smile he caught her faint breath of the alcoholic drink she had swallowed earlier. She closed their distance successfully and pressed onto him closer, her lips brushed across his cheek and were now a hairsbreadth away from his, whispering his name seductively before wearing back the 'come hither' smile on her face.

With that, all that restrain he had practiced for years with discipline vanished.

_Yep, dead fucked. Fucked up. Whatever combination apply._

Reno dipped his head lower and indulged himself. His lips against hers, tasting the warm grenadine, white wine and passion fruit in her. It was killing him. He pressed on to get more than that. It was when they parted he saw it. Her eyes widened, shocked. The alcohol had worn down. It was probably the light, or maybe his imagination but her face darkened a considerable amount as she hurriedly took her hands back.

_You knew this'd come, no?_

Reno silently followed her away from the human sea, pushing his way through. "Tifa—"

"Reno," she cut him.

Gods, how he loved hearing her say that.

"I-I … I'm sorry. We should forget about this. Please?"

Tifa Lockhart had those eyes. Large and pleading; alive – easily readable to him. It made him weak somehow – there was a twinge of pain inside him. Was it empathy? Sympathy? He couldn't care less. Besides, no way in hells he would. He gave her the answer she wanted to hear, though. "… Sure. Whatever you say."

"Thank you," she nodded and made her way to the exit.

_She left._

_I said: she left, man._

_Have a soft spot for her after all this time?_

_Are you mentally retarded? That's a serious question, by the way. Told you to kill her._

_You didn't listen._

_Sack of shit._

While his subconscious continued to throw words at him in displeasure, he ignored it in silence.

The next day, he exited a door with a quiet click while the owner shouted profanities at him in anger. He didn't give a damn on it. He had just … done something he never did before. Reject. Reno decided on taking a shortcut to her home when he ran to luck. He saw her. He was sure it was her, too, walking calmly in the alleyway he was going to take. He followed her pace, matching his steps with hers to avoid suspicion.

Time to do this, he thought. As he raised his hands to touch her shoulder from behind, she stopped. Turned around fast. He forgot he was dealing with a fighter here. She began to present him with her torrent of attacks. Reno in turn had a somewhat challenging task of evading and blocking her fast swipes. Some of her blows actually hurt. Reno lost his footing while side stepping her low leg sweep, and Tifa took the chance, somersaulted and he was thrown back. She straddled his lying form, ready to give him something he could pass out with. She stopped.

"Ah," she breathed; eyes wide when she had realized it was him. "… Hey?"

He smirked. "Yo. This is a nice position, babe."

Slap!

Reno was now hunched forward, his arms on his knees. Tifa acknowledged him with a smile as she sat near the fountain with him, plastering some wound he'd accidentally made on his evades. "Sorry about that."

"… No prob." He couldn't let his eyes meet up to her anymore. Instead, his yearning gaze was only short-lived as he tore away from her questioning eyes. She sat next to him in silence, waiting patiently. Patience was what Tifa was familiar with. Nothing good would come if she had forced something.

Reno cleared his throat. "… For the longest time, I thought."

"Hm?"

"I … can't do it."

Tifa gave him a warm smile as she placed her palm on his knuckle, squeezing it gently. "I noticed since the beginning. There was hesitation."

Reno shot his head up. What? Did he just hear that right? She _knew_? His shocked expression seemed to show up clearly for Tifa couldn't stop her chuckle from surfacing. Reno choked halfway through his gasp when she produced his ID card from her pocket. "Aw, heck. Do I suck? Spying, I mean."

"Sure do." Reno groaned while Tifa continued to smother her laughs. "If you wanted to kill me, you would've done it mercilessly in the first place without trying to get to know me. Which took you months, loser."

_Loser. Nice choice of word. Simple and I like it._

"You're the very epitome of a heartless beast, you know that?" he said to Tifa (and indirectly to his evil consciousness).

"Yes sir," she sang, almost, flipping his card around and tossing it to his catching hand.

Reno scratched at the nonexistent itch at the back of his head. Where had she got his card, he needn't dwell his thoughts on it any longer. The only close contact they ever established was during their dance. It should be that time.

"Why didn't you? Kill me, I mean."

"I'd replace the '_l_' to '_s_', babe." That made her laugh again and Reno savored his victory but soon turned serious. " … Like you said; hesitation. Probably the first few times I encountered that."

"Does it trouble you?"

"Damn right, it did." That probably came out as cracked as his voice could manage but he didn't give a damn. The first he had ever felt that was when he'd accepted to kill a little girl. Then a sickly old man. He was too proud to take back his words. Refusal was not what he was good at. He had finally snapped and got the frigging guts to reject the request on having to get Tifa Lockhart's head.

"Then," she said, pausing as she tried to catch his gaze, "do I trouble you?"

Reno wasn't sure how to respond to that. He shrugged. Does she? Not in a way he'd call 'troubling to the max' or a 'walking abomination'. More like a trouble that made his senses go haywire. Now that _worried_ him. He did more than wait for the right time to strike her down. He talked to her. Not many are able to get him talk openly like that. Not even Rude whom only waited for him to speak if he wanted to. Somehow with Tifa, he was more of himself. Nobody ever took him seriously but Tifa was different. He felt normal. More than he was when he's around his friends.

Maybe it was her naïvely widespread trust.

It seemed easy for her to trust. Either that or she was a keen observer of people. Was she really troubling him?

He was deep in thought that he didn't realize Tifa had returned with an ice cream on each hand. "Here."

"Thanks," he said, accepting it. They began walking down the pavement. After a few minutes of unproductive side by side silence, she broke the stillness.

"Let's start all over." Tifa stopped halfway as she took back her right hand and offered her left hand after switching the ice cream to her right. Reno stared at her outstretched hand, to her face and back to her hand. _The left hand_, he noted. It was a peace offering; _left,_ because warriors in the past would drop their shields from their left arm; a symbol of letting the guard down. He had heard that was because it's where the heart is. A full trust. He took her hand. "Tifa Lockhart," she said, grinning only after a momentary pause.

"Reno."

"I know. Last time I checked it is."

"Cheater." They laughed, this time hand in hand. Reno had never paid heed to his surroundings before. Maybe it's time to stop and smell the _vanilla_. More precisely, vanilla ice cream. Mixed with a little bit of chocolate stripes.

"So … Reno," Tifa said, licking her ice cream carefully. "Back to my question, _do I trouble you_?" She watches him pause, looking for the words.

"… Not so much that I would find you annoying."

"Not much? —oh." Tifa raised an eyebrow. She had taken it as something else. "Oh," she said, louder. She stopped dead in her tracks. "Am I annoying you?"

"No. I didn't mean it that way—"

"I am, aren't I? Should've known," she huffed as she began to walk away, neatly avoiding passers-by.

_Way to go, shithead_. Reno clicked his tongue in annoyance as he strode over, keeping up with her.

"Tifa, wait," he said, jogging. "Teef! Oops, sorry. —_Tifa_." He caught her shoulder.

She whirled to him rapidly and her eyes widened in shock as she never get to finish her sentence. "_Wha_—? Mmmph—" In that moment, his lips were on hers, molding ever so sweetly; an assurance, enough to tell her 'nowayIneverdidmeanitthatway'.

"Does that change your mind?" he asked after letting her go.

"I-ah. You, um—" Some people witnessing that were going 'awwh' with the little act and Tifa jerked away from him, her face burning. _What the … In public … What is his logic anyways?_ Tifa glanced at him. She then laughed, making Reno confused.

He pouted. "You're chopping up my ego and throwing it out to the sea. What is it?"

Tifa laughed still. "Where's- um. Excuse me. Where's your ice cream?" she managed with sputters.

Reno looked at both of his hands. They were empty. He had tossed it away, when he went after her, to god knows where without even tasting it. He expected it to be smeared all around his jacket but when he turned around it was clean. He looked around and finally saw it over a distance. Two dogs were licking it up on the asphalt. "Great," he sighed dejectedly. He didn't get to extend the time mourning over his loss as Tifa pulled him.

"Tell me something, Reno," she began as they resumed their walk. "What do you think my favorite color is?"

"Black and white like a nun," he deadpanned. That earned him a punch at his side.

Tifa pushed her bangs to the back. "_Right_," she huffed.

"I've a hunch it's not right, though."

"Hm," Tifa nodded.

"It's white."

"You think?"

"Know so. You have plain white shirt under that vest. Your earring is colorless. Your sneakers contain white. I'm guessing you'd want a white hairclip or something, right?"

With every exact detail he gave her, Tifa never noticed her smile growing. "Ten points, _stalker_. Oh, yes. Here." She handed him a folded piece of paper, black marks somewhat visible from the back.

"Aww, a love letter?" Reno glanced at her. Reached out a finger to her nose and licked it. Slowly. So that she'd watch him in awe. "Ice cream."

Tifa smirked. "Hmm … Maybe?"

"_Maybe_. Che. What is it, a poem?" Reno began reading it carefully. From the structure he guessed it was a poem but the repetition in the end made him think twice. A song. Snowball surprise.

"I wrote it," she beamed. That type of happiness that radiated off her was the one Reno could never ignore. Even her grin was infectious.

"So, it _is_ a love letter-slash-poem _for me_." Reno received a smack on his shoulder for that statement.

"That's the song I'll sing tonight. Yes, _for you_," she smiled. "I'll see you later. Cloud will kill me if I'm not there on time."

She gave him a small peck –_shit_. _What the hell did she just do?_ "Wha—"

"You have ice cream right there," she said, moistening her lips which ended with a smirk. "_Yum_."

"I thought my ice cream was fed to the dogs."

Tifa gave him hers, grinning for all she's worth. "Free gift."

"Thanks, beautiful," he said when he thought he was a safe distance from her. _She turns around, it's a date_. Tifa quickened her pace and after a few meters away, she turned around and glanced at him. _Hot damn, it's a date!_ She smiled and gave a small nod, mouthing 'smartass' before turning back. Reno was left staring at his ice cream, debating whether to finish it or to stare at it like it was godsend. And melting fast in his hand.

Because it was vanilla, his latest and possibly prolonged obsession. Unless Tifa decided to switch to something that might make his mind go crazier than it already was. He'd definitely memorize everything.

That night after he had sang along with her and receiving icicle glares from Cloud when Tifa gulped down half his favored his drink, they spent the night stargazing in (this time) a very comforting silence … despite his lack of knowledge at that field.

_Star. Gaze. Star. Gaze. Star… Whatthefuck. Seriously, _what_? There are only dots. Friggin dots. Dots. Dot, dot, dot. God I'm bored._ He'd never paid attention to those things up there nor did he care but just that night, he told himself to give it a try. All he could think of was scientific details. The stupid big bang theory and all the physics stuff. He let out a low guttural growl. What the hell was the shit he's supposed to look at anyways?

_Those 'friggin dots', moron._

He knew that.

"Hmm…" Tifa started.

_And you're bored. _

He knew that too.

"I think…"

_Look at her, man. Compliment her on something or just run, hide, shrink, anything! Plain clueless to boot, too. Hah._

He knew—Reno had a mind to ignore his forever evil, criticizing subconscious.

Tifa's laugh broke him from his thoughts. "That looks like you." Reno blinked, still dazed. Bored out of his mind, most likely.

"Huh? Which one?"

"This one," she sighed, leaning onto his shoulder. "A constellation called Reno."

"That's not even stargazing anymore. This is Renoogling. Not that I mind."

"I know. I was hoping I'd see some shooting stars."

Reno raised an eyebrow. "What, they really make your wish come true?"

"You never know. It's good to hope and anticipate sometimes. And there _are_ ways, Reno. Mistletoe, birthday, wishing wells, New Year, Christmas, and shooting stars."

"You're missing one more."

"What one more?"

"Me."

"Showoff."

"Take it seriously," Reno paused. A sharp pain stabbed his head within. What was it he was going to say? " … Tifa Lockhart." Another pause. What was wrong with him? For a split second or more, he forgot her name. He shook his head. "I _can_ grant your wishes."

"I'd love that, …Reno." Tifa winced a little at the gap. Why was it more difficult to remember his name? Did she eat something bad earlier? No.

Just the… Rainbow. And Cloud retreating. Reno was thinking the same thing.

"Shit," he muttered. How could he not notice that? That lead guitarist of theirs, what's his name, Cloud Strife, yes. He peered down at her calm face in which Odin knows what kind of turmoil she held inside.

"Are you thinking the same thing I am now?" she asked softly. "Ah, I can see Polaris."

Reno nodded. "Spiked. Now which bored bastard would do that …?"

"May I suggest someone who always has an air of angst with him?" Tifa chuckled.

"Cloud, eh? He sure is territorial. For once, I've forgotten your name…"

"And you still have the time to be a smartass. I don't want to forget, Reno. I'm scared—"

"The mind may not remember but the body remembers the feelings."

"Hmf, smartass."

"I know."

"Hey, wanna try making a wish now?" Tifa asked. Reno nodded in approval. He'd wanted to make it worthwhile even if he were to forget everything when he would wake up later. He felt her fingers tighten in his. Side by side, they made a wish silently as their eyelids got heavy. Whatever that drug was it sure was strong. "I wish…" Tifa's voice trailed off. Still leaning onto each other, they fell into the temptations of sleep. What they didn't notice was a small shooting star actually zipped past the others.

Reno woke up hours after when he felt a cold emptiness to his right. It was still dark. He only saw the back of a blond man carrying a sleeping dark haired woman in his arms somewhere. He did question why it was cold suddenly. Why the spot next to him was still warm. Why it pained him to leave that place. Why he, unknown to his limited knowledge, had let the warm moisture at the corner of his eyes collect.

Reno blinked his eyes open. The alarm was unbearable. It was morning as shown on the clock which seemed to mock him with the digital red numbers and the only thought which ran through his mind that very moment was …

_Holy— I kissed Tifa _Goddamn_ Lockhart_. Twice. _And fuck you, I cried. So not cool._

He needed a cold shower _badly_.

I know you now, Tifa Lockhart. I remembered, he thought. The question is did she remember him too? Judging from her reactions when they'd met outside the shop, probably not yet. The traces of her feelings were there, but not completely present as he recalled. But in their meeting again, there's that small bit of reaction—who was he kidding. It's damn obvious. The whole of Gaia would notice she had blushed to 34 shades of red just by the slightest contact, unsure of the 'why's.

_The mind may not remember but the body remembers the feelings. You lived by that, boy._

He let out a nasal sigh. Since he was free from the evil clutches of the drug, he figured that Tifa would be starting to remember any day now. Today or tomorrow sounds like a good time. Maybe spending the day with her would help. No one's going to stop him anyways. He wasn't really assigned by Shinra to anything for this whole week.

_Mental note: evil blond _nemos_, obliterate on sight if possible._

Reno's stomach rumbled. He missed whatever he could fill his stomach with for dinner last night. A heavy breakfast? Scratch that. A thought came up to his handsome head.

* * *

Sneak peek:

Yuffie and Aerith in front of her stared. "U-huh. Cold," Yuffie nodded doubtfully, narrowing her eyes into slits. "Are you sure?" Yuffie shook Tifa's shoulder. "Tifa? Tifaaa? Oh, my gawd! Gaia to Tifa, Gaia to—"

"Don't push her, Yuffie," Aerith hissed.

"Wishy-washy little Tiffy," Yuffie huffed, rolling her eyes.

The bells danced on their spot, leaving a small melody in its wake, alerting the three ladies in uniforms, making them look up from whatever they were currently doing. "Welcome to Seventh Heaven!" they sang. Tifa stopped halfway, though. He was there.

"Welcome—_you_. What brings you here?" Tifa boldly came forward and crossed her arms, making it hard for Reno to concentrate on her eyes. Face. Not that it really mattered. He rather liked her in anything or nothing at all and that maid suit was emitting cuteness freely. Gotta love the designer. The usual black n' white and frilly, lacey goodness.

"Wanna have breakfast together?"


	4. Chapter 4

:D **Chp 4.**You were giving up on me, aren'cha? Too bad. I never intend to give _this_up. Lol. I'll get back to the typos sooner or later. xD

* * *

How many times had she woken in the middle of the night again?

She twisted and turned and moaned in her sleep. She had remembered a little. Her head hurt that morning when a portion of memories imploded within her dreams last night. With that, she knew she would wake with teary eyes. Tifa got ready for the day to help out at Seventh Heaven. A small café the girls had worked in as a part time job on the weekends.

That day, the three were working in very different pace. Tifa was stuck on the counter, circling one spot with her cloth to impeccable shininess; Aerith was humming happily as she sorted out the coffee types without any complaint while Yuffie … without Tifa's close scrutiny, had decided to make the best of her time and chat away. In which her topic eventually paced to her main interest ever since she and Aerith left Tifa alone with her crush. "Alright, Tifa. Tell Aerith how it felt," Yuffie started off with a spoon in her hand, imitating a microphone.

Tifa was zoning out for a while now. Yuffie prodded her side, now becoming her ultimate weapon to get Tifa bow down before her mightiness. "Ah—! Yuffie – what the, will you stop that?"

"That kiss with Reno."

Tifa paused from her current chore and slapped the cloth onto the surface she'd been polishing for a whole good hour. Yuffie skirted around the counter, still with the spoon in her hand. "Hey, watch it, you'll spoon my eyes out if you're not careful, Yuffie—" Yuffie pulled the spoon _How it felt?_

She'd never known how _he_ would feel it as. What she had seen in her disjointed memories last night in her dreams was the lonely man she was always curious of, the one who would only drink and dance for a short minute or so with some girls he had have to entertain and returned to his seat, exchanging a few words or simply conversing with his bald friend.

Slowly she began recalling the bar they frequented. It was spacious in the center and fingers of colored lights stretching from corners. At a certain time, it would get filled. Band after band performed. Until it reached their turn.

Then she would sing. That was when she was aware he had looked directly to her, his gaze unwavering and a small grin tugging at the end of his lips. He'd give her his fullest attention whenever she was on stage. She remembered the first time he'd done that. It was unnerving. People never paid attention to her – for they'd only dance and get lost in their own little world – but she soon came to accept the fact that it was just an appreciative gesture from the stranger whose presence she'd grown fond of despite the distance they were in.

So far, he was one of the few who had really felt the songs like she did.

There were some songs he'd raised his eyebrow on and shook his head at the end. He smirked, nonetheless, which made her happy despite his silent disapproval.

Then there's that piece she loved, composed by herself which she had only sung once. How he knew, she never got to remember. It was a vivid blur in her mind. All she could remember was his eyes lit up as he sang along with her one night. That couldn't have made her any more happier as she read his lips, copying them.

Some of the memories flew back in place. They were getting pretty cordial with each other with ice cream in their hands. She was the one who had decided to break the ice. Thinking that it was a big step for her, she smiled, and yet another missing part returned.

She remembered holding his hand, telling him something. _I noticed since the beginning_. One thing that distracted her was his hand.

"It was … cold," she said in almost a whisper, smile dying. She clenched and unclenched her fist, staring at her palm. It felt so real that she wanted to warm it. Cold. Was his heart cold before they met? Had she done a good job warming it? Coldness was what she enjoyed. But it's coldness within humans she never had a liking to.

One more.

_I don't want to forget, Reno. I'm scared—_ Cloud. He did put in something in the Over The Rainbow they shared. She had spied his sharp, randomly spiked hair diving back to the crowd. He had been nearby.

Yuffie and Aerith in front of her stared. "U-huh. Cold," Yuffie nodded doubtfully, narrowing her eyes into slits. "Are you sure?" Yuffie shook Tifa's shoulder. "Tifa? Tifaaa? Oh, my gawd! Gaia to Tifa, Gaia to—"

"Don't push her, Yuffie," Aerith hissed..

"Wishy-washy little Tiffy," Yuffie huffed, rolling her eyes.

The bells danced on their spot, leaving a small melody in its wake, alerting the three ladies in uniforms, making them look up from whatever they were currently doing. "Welcome to Seventh Heaven!" they sang. Tifa stopped halfway, though. He was there.

"Welcome—_you_. What brings you here?" Tifa boldly came forward and crossed her arms, making it hard for Reno to concentrate on her eyes. Face. Not that it really mattered. He rather liked her in anything or nothing at all and that maid suit was emitting cuteness freely. Gotta love the designer. The usual black n' white and frilly, lacey goodness.

"Wanna have breakfast together?"

Tifa tapped her fingers on her arm. "It's noon. Did you somehow wake up with a moogle on your stomach?"

"Lunch, then?" he insisted.

"I don't think—"

"Cool." Reno pulled her away to a table, giving her silently cheering friends a thumb-up and grinned when he heard her favorite word.

"_Shiva_."

He liked it when she said that.

Tifa mentally facepalmed herself. Now why had she let this man have his way again? _Easy_. _You have a crush on him. Oh, and a wet dream last night. Poor you, like a teenage boy. Ha-ha._ Who wouldn't? His face haunting her dream, the things they did together, and the, oh _yes_, the kiss. She wasn't going to tell him that for fear of making herself a fool in front of him, blabbering about what he might not remember. Moreover, they shared the cocktail Cloud had poisoned. No, drugged. _Whatever_. The effect would wear down … someday, she hoped.

It was odd to find a waitress sitting at the VIP area with one who she seemed to be insisting 'a stranger', judging from her awkward, short-sentenced replies. It was weirder still to find her fellow friends were the ones who served them, passing either knowing glance or suggestive nods to them.

Ones like, 'you better do or I'll tell Barret to cut your salary' from Yuffie and 'Go on, he won't bite' from Aerith. Just what Tifa needed … except that moral encouragement wasn't going to be of much help to her. She was practically staring at Reno – at his unexpected elegance in eating etiquette – knowing which spoons to use for what, and appetizer first, dessert last; despite his tuck-out shirt, unzipped jacket and that tousled wildfire on his head. Unknowingly, she compared him with Cloud.

Cloud would eat in such a way that he makes a mess out of everything. Something small would always decorate his face. One would think that mess as overly disgusting but Tifa had always found it adorable. She and her mother instincts. Reno? He was a surprise. In a good way.

Well, that taught her not to judge a book by its cover.

Oh, and never forget his lips. Those she had thought which spew nonsense – at least to her he did … but in truth, she was debating between her last contemplation and a newly bubbling thought: _sinfully sexy lips_. … Who was she to deny that fact?

All that made her mouth slightly ajar and that didn't go unnoticed by her companion.

"Are you drooling on the food or at me?"

_Dear gods, why did you make him an illegal man that ever existed?_ "Neither," she answered as she picked on her food for the unknown time now.

Reno shook his head. Grinned, nonetheless. The familiar one Tifa saw in her dream. "Love it when you're in denial."

"Oh, please," Tifa huffed.

"Even if you sound annoyed, you actually like my being here, right?"

Tifa had to admit, he was right on that one. "Wipe that smug look off your face, sir."

"_Sir_?"

"Yes. _Sir_. Did I say surd?"

"I _hope_. And stop calling me 'sir'. Do I have _bow-down-because-I'm-lordly_ written all over my face?"

"Yes. No. Well, no. Yes. I don't know!" Tifa groaned. He did look something like that – lordly. Or a lord's son. "_What_ are you trying to make me say?"

"We're going nowhere with this and you know it, Tifa," he said, leaning forward a little. Not too close to intimidate, but just right to leave her nerve fuses for 'sanity' of being close to him blow up – she blinked a lot of time.

But then, Tifa kept her cool … when all she wanted to do was muffle her squeals with her pillow because the girl inside her told to. The woman side to her made her do the opposite. "Alright, what do you want?"

"Your kiss – if I did get it, then would you go out with me?"

"I doubt you'll suit my tastes."

Reno spotted a guitar, propped against a piano. "Guitar." He motioned his head to its direction. "Can I play?"

Tifa shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"But you have to play the piano, sweetness," he grinned as guided her to the corner of the café where the ancient piano sat.

"What do I get in return?"

"There's nothing behind this. Chill." Tifa kept her stare on him as he picked up the guitar carefully.

"Alright, ladies, say my name!"

Aerith clapped happily as she twirled with a broomstick. "R!"

"E!" Yuffie cheered, followed by her whistles.

"N!" both of them yelled and turned to Tifa. She was watching Reno who was currently twanging and adjusting the guitar, showing off his firm arms. Watching was one word. Mooning was another that came to her friends' minds. How true that was. "Tifa?" Aerith called.

"Hm? … Oh. O."

"C'mon, Teef, add some energy to it," Yuffie sighed.

Tifa propped her elbows onto the ivory rectangles, releasing random notes as she rested her chin on her hands. _Joy_. She wasn't really too keen on playing anything but thought of a way to test him. She searched deep within her memories of a melody she loved. "Beat this." On the piano, she began playing the tune of the song she last sang. She hadn't reached the bridge yet when Reno joined in, strumming the guitar coolly. By that time, Tifa wondered how many times had she stopped halfway in anything just because of him. Reno was someone she should revere or break his bones. After a moment's hesitation, she cleared her throat. "You could play the bass," she said when her friends had stopped clapping.

"Nu-uh."

"Bass."

"Lead."

"I'm telling you, bass."

"I want lead."

"Bass."

"Lead."

"You _can't_"

"I _can_."

"Can't."

"Can."

"Can't."

"Can."

"Can't and that's final."

"Yes, I can. Your lead guitarist is missing, right?"

The mention of lead guitarist flipped a switch inside Tifa and she hissed, "_Bass_," insistently as she planted her knuckles on her hips before turning away.

A sense of déjà vu swept up the both of them. Reno, on the most part. With the thoughts of loss in his mind, he unknowingly reached for her arm. "_Tifa_."

"_What_!" she yelled and turned back to him. Before she managed to gasp at his alarming hand snaking its way around her waist, his other hand had pulled her closer for a full kiss on the lips.

_That feeling again_, he'd never get enough of that. All his pent-up feelings burst within that single action.

Everything came to Tifa at once. She remembered. The dance, the ice cream, and stargazing. It wasn't just a kiss. _Kisses_. _Oh, Shiva_. _Why did I—_ She felt foolish for only remembering her first one. It was then she'd responded to him, savoring his mouth, breathing his name … and gasped when she realized what she had just done with such passion.

"Acoustic?" Reno asked right after when she got the energy to stand. The look on her face was priceless.

Her mouth moved but no words came out. "I … didn't know you can play guitar, really." That was lame.

Reno smoothed his hair to the back but returned to its original place. "You never asked."

"You never said," Tifa huffed, pouting a little.

Reno ruffled her hair. "I'm flattered by your display of annoyance, babe."

"_Excuse me_?" she choked as she undid the mess he made on her hair. The main door opened and whom Reno guessed was their boss entered, stomping and muttering curses as he did. He let out a nasal sigh before resuming his complaints.

"Hells, Teef, I'll use the car next time. You was always using it for the whole week. When's my turn—" Barret paused when he saw Tifa in the arms of a stranger. Tifa slowly unwound his arms from her. "Who the fuck's he?"

"Barret!" Aerith and Yuffie snickered in their spot.

"A'ight, sorry." Barret turned to Reno and was about to speak a few warnings when he stopped. A flash of recognition sparked off within him. He'd seen that boy before. Where was it… Holy shit, he's who Spike's talking about!

"Barret, they're going out together! Give them room, will ya?" Yuffie nudged Barret at his side.

"Hell no!"

"I'll make you remember, Tifa," Reno managed to whisper before Barret sent a fist flying his way.

Aerith wiped the corner of her eyes like a proud mother and Yuffie's smile turned to a big silly grin. Since she loved what she'd just witnessed, a _Cloud_whose head kept staying in the skies was undoubtedly going to love that. "You know, Aerith, any more and I'll start jumping."

Aerith laughed nervously when she saw Tifa glaring at the both of them. "I suggest … not to." Yuffie whined some boredom out of her before resuming doing her chores.

Barret hollered at Tifa when she got home that night. Being the daddy figure to the girls, he especially didn't like the idea of Tifa going out with Reno during Cloud's absence. "Is what Yuffie said was fuckin' true?"

Tifa shot him a warning look. "Barret, language. Denzel and Marlene are still upstairs."

"But, Teef, I was tryna—"

"Barret, I'll be fine. I have a feeling that it's going to be okay."

"Fine," he said, still scowling as he raised his hands. "Fine. I'll back down."

"Thanks, Barret. If something's up, I'll yell your name," she said, smiling as she skipped by twos up the stairs, towards her room.

Reno asked her out. That made her insides flip, losing control, and she was feeling like a schoolgirl again. "Get a grip, girl," Tifa told herself as she lay on her bed sideways. … But squeal she did. To her pillow. That wasn't really a good display of maturity for Marlene if she passed by Tifa's door. It was after pounding and squeezing her pillow numerous of time she realized something. That empty feeling she felt every single day since they last met, it was not there anymore. "I missed him," she said admittedly.

_I wish … that I'll fall for you again if we ever meet after this._

She wondered if she would tell him she had already remembered everything. She barely heard Barret yelling seconds after he picked the phone up as she began to drift off to sleep.

* * *

"Twenty minutes and a few seconds," he said after checking his watch.

Tifa shrugged. "What do you know, I got stuck in the elevator."

Reno grinned still. "Nonsense. Should've invited me even if it's for twenty minutes, shouldn't you?"

"That's what you think," she snapped. "_Nonsense_."

"Then was that what you really did, then? Getting stuck in the elevator?"

Tifa sighed. "No."

"Score."

-- -- --

_Reno:_

_I just wanna make sure. ;D What'll u wear?_

_--_

_Tifa:_

_For what?_

_--_

_Reno:_

_The beach. Our next date._

_--_

_Tifa:_

_Next. U sound sure._

_Something not revealing._

_Maybe I'll dress like a nun. :)_

_--_

_Reno:_

_U're kidding._

_--_

_Tifa:_

_Exactly. And u took it srsly? :D_

_O, n I nvr agreed I will._

* * *

_a.n. sorry it's real late. I was waiting for a good time to get a good rest worth weeks. Just trying to cope with my time adjustments for school. I kinda slept through 3 (out of 4) classes almost every single day now. Currently I have more srs bsns to worry: my personal statement. I don't know how to start it. Lol, liek wut, 'do I dazzle u?' 21, anyone? ;D Hope you enjoyed this for the moment. :D_


	5. Chapter 5

A smooth rumble sounded just outside. Tifa resisted from peering through the blinds. Having to let Barret take the car, she knew she was supposed to take the subway.

"Tifa, you got someone to pick you up, don't you?" Vincent watched her from the open door carefully as he did with his words.

Tifa looked up from her monitor incredulously. "I do?" Sure, leave it to Vincent to remind her. She was thinking of staying back a little longer just to spite – or test that _someone_. But Vincent just had to check up on the staff like the dedicated boss he was.

"Yeah. Barret told me he'd pick up Marlene first so he let a friend do it in his stead. Said he'd be at your home around six or seven."

"A _friend_?" Tifa laughed.

"He spared me the details. _Not worth knowing_, he mentioned. I wonder what made him say 'friend' with a 'fuck' between every word like Cid does."

Tifa laughed. _Reno_. "…Right. I'll be off, then." After giving him a quick hug, she hurried to make her exit. She had purposefully got lost using the route she wasn't used to and finally reached the lobby. What greeted her: a sleek, black Volkswagen … and that redhead leaning on the door, looking relaxed and amused at the same time seeing her at the main door.

"Twenty minutes and a few seconds," he said after checking his watch.

Tifa shrugged. "What do you know, I got stuck in the elevator."

Reno grinned still. "Nonsense. Should've invited me even if it's for twenty minutes, shouldn't you?"

"That's what you think," she snapped. "_Nonsense_."

"Then was that what you really did, then? Getting stuck in the elevator?"

Tifa sighed. "No."

"Score."

Tifa rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms, sighing, "Explain yourself."

"_Me_? I think I'm the type you'll probably call 'a pathetic excuse for a human being who only thinks of constant pleasure'," he quipped.

"Reno, I mean it, why are you here?"

"Barret told me to. You're coming pronto." Reno motioned to his car.

Barret? Was that why he was enraged last night on the phone? It amazed her how Reno managed to talk him into agreeing to this. "I don't see why not," she sighed and complied. Since no one's going to get her home that day, she might have taken the chance with him.

"It's movie tonight, alright?"

"How could I forget? You've spammed my inbox morning to noon. Where did you get my number anyways?"

"I have my sources."

"By sources, you mean Aerith and Yuffie, right?"

"Didn't say they are." The latest pop music sang from the speakers and Reno found her humming softly to some familiar ones. After a long while stuck in the evening traffic, Reno decided to break the silence between them. "At times like this, I would appreciate either work from home, or ride a train," Reno said, referring to the traffic congestion ahead. Tifa on the other hand had mixed feelings.

"Have you commuted to work on train before? It simply sucks, big-time. I'd rather face the traffic and whatever monster it brings rather than be jammed with bodies in a train," she huffed and added, "In my car, comfort is everything. I can blast the tunes through the sound system. That's one of the little things which are simply pure luxuries that we tend to take for granted."

Reno hummed in response and rested his arm near the window. _Taking for granted, eh_? He had been thinking of thanking the girls for hooking him up with Tifa. Indirectly.

"At the same time, however, I also agree that an efficient train system like Shinra's would be great because it will reduce the car's maintenance cost and broken heels. Stuff like that," she continued.

Reno suddenly chuckled, "With my one statement, you have given me a synopsis to a novel."

"Couldn't help it. My brain works faster when I'm with you," she said with a small laugh before lip-syncing along with the radio. _Or in some cases, not working properly at all._

They started a game of spot the hazard and ended up humoring themselves with whatever each of them pointed. A dog poo squished by a passer-by, a cat walking on a gate and falling right after a few seconds, some idiot being pushed to a nearby fountain by his girlfriend … and thievery. There were teens with something around each of their arms, probably a group of three or four, ran as if wild dogs were hot on their heels.

Tifa watched the last boy lagging behind apologizing to a random young woman when he bumped to her. The woman caught his arm. The look of shock on his face was really noticeable. Tifa tired reading his lips. '_Hal_?' Probably his sister or a close relative. _Poor boy_. She chuckled in amusement.

"What up?" Reno asked.

"That boy got caught. Not as fast as his mates." Tifa pointed. "Makes me wonder. Why are they doing that?"

"Tifa, Tifa, Tifa. In case you're wondering, we don't live in a perfect world."

"I know _that_. I mean, besides peer pressure and all…"

"Basic thing is, to feed yourself, survival instinct. They'd do something like that."

"Hm."

"I know. I was like them when I was younger. My friends and I used to do all that shit for the fun of it. From TVs, cat food, and post-its, we all take it as a sport. Hey, you listening to me?"

"I am. I hope Denzel doesn't grow up to be like that. He gets into fights lately. Pft, boys."

Silence.

Tifa rubbed the window with a finger. "You didn't ask who he is."

"Well, I can guess." Reno stretched his arms to the front.

"Sure you can."

"Wasn't a question."

"I know. He's mine. Adopted."

"Can I get any luckier? Already a mother figure, eh."

"—hey, it's green."

That was a signal to shut up, Reno noted. He hummed in approval and accelerated the car. No sooner they covered a few blocks to the right, another traffic congestion began to build up. Well, if talking was not the option for the time being… Reno flipped open his cell phone and typed in a few words.

Tifa's cell phone shook in her pocket and when she checked it, she glanced at Reno dirtily. What is he up to now?

_Reno:_

_Can I have ur number?_

_--_

_Tifa:_

_Isn't this 'my number' nuff? ):_

_--_

_Reno:_

_I just wanna make sure. ;D What'll u wear?_

_--_

_Tifa:_

_For what?_

_--_

_Reno:_

_The beach. Our next date._

_--_

_Tifa:_

_Next. U sound sure._

_Something not revealing._

_Maybe I'll dress like a nun. :)_

_--_

_Reno:_

_U're kidding._

_--_

_Tifa:_

_Exactly. And u took it srsly? :D_

_O n I nvr agreed I will._

--

_Reno:_

_Almost. But honestly, what'll u wear?_

_I'll make you change your mind. :)_

_--_

_Tifa:_

_Something casual._

_Couldn't care less._

_--_

_Reno:_

_): iSad._

_Color?_

_--_

_Tifa:_

_Black._

_--_

_Reno:_

_Y?_

"Because," Tifa said, "that's what I think I look good in. Can we stop this? My credit's getting lower."

"You needn't show the world what you _think_ is your favorite color." Reno returned his cell back to his pocket before accelerating to occupy the space. Spaces increased slowly and they were able to get away from the line.

"If I can't wear black, what's your suggestion, then?"

"White," he said instantly. "I don't forget things easily."

She beamed. "I'd still wear black."

"White."

"Never."

"Right, and you'll get out of my car this instant and start walking home. Worst still, you'll try to get run down by a bus as serendipity. And getting to the hospital is your last resort."

Tifa thought for a while. "Is that what it takes to make you change your mind?"

"Nope. I'll go after you, like it or not, and get you back in here. So, white?"

"Your reason?" she sighed.

"I think you'll look stunning in a white sundress. Like an angel. Your hair can be in a loose bun, ponytail or whatever you prefer."

"And my shoes, _milord_?"

"Flip flops. They'd be hanging on your fingers, though."

Tifa couldn't help but to ask, "_Why_?" as she smiled at that half-ridiculous idea.

"Cause you and I will chase each other in the small waves and watch the sunset in the end."

"Is that what you have in mind? I thought you just want white because it's the best color you would get me soaked in so that you'd enjoy the view of a white, _see through_, clingy dress instead."

"You know that sounds like an idea. I'll make you play at the water." Reno ignored her soft snort. "Naked, if possible."

"Oh, but I'll drown, _sugar_."

"CPR exists."

"Pervert."

Reno gave a lazy shrug. "Not for saving your life."

" … On second thought, I won't go," she said and smiled sweetly.

"Hey."

"Convince me, then."

"'kay," he said, grinning, taking the challenge. He'd win. Sooner, later or maybe someday. Home finally came to view. "Here we are."

"Heaven," Tifa grinned as she exited.

Reno couldn't stop the tugs from the corner of his lips. _Agreed._

Tifa tapped on his window. "Coming? I'll be a while so feel free to make yourself at home. There's no one except for me and the kids."

He nodded, seeing that there was nothing he could do in his car. "Sure." He could watch the football repeat or whatever that would grab his attention. As soon as he stepped into the unknown territory of the residence of Tifa Lockhart, he stared. Everything was very Tifa. From the noticeable décors and the choices of colors that blended easily with the oak interior to the small traits of hers, flowers, – specifically daisies – in a vase and the wallpaper prints; exquisite.

"You're home," a boy greeted Tifa cheerfully. "I played wow with Kadaj. He left just now." He reminded Reno vaguely of Cloud with those two startling blue eyes and flaxen hair.

"Barret and Marlene are going to come soon. Get ready." The boy nodded and raced upstairs.

Once the two are alone, however, Reno cleared his throat. "That was—"

"_I_," Tifa stressed. "Better get ready." Without an 'okay' or anything from Reno, she disappeared upstairs.

"—not yours, right?" Reno sighed as he turned to the TV. Of course he wasn't. Her, that age, would have a son that big? He looked around twelve at least. He would probably be one of the orphans she'd taken care of. There was no need for him to overreact. But overreact, he did as he punched the wall and winced at his display of unfathomed anger and idiocy.

"Not hers, not hers, not hers, nothersnothersnothers…" he muttered.

_Dude._

"Not hers, I swear."

_Chill._

"Definitely not…"

_Why the hell do you care, anyways?_

I don't know, dammit, he countered inwardly.

_Naw, you care. Seriously though, does she look like she's the type who'd get laid every night?_

"Not hers, not hers …" It was becoming a chant now; a prayer at best.

_Look at her, man. You're a pathetic maggot y'know that? Think clearly for a moment—_

"Not. Hers." Too bad Reno ignored his safest subconscious in the time of need.

_Fuck you, man. She's always into you and there's no way she'd—_

"That's Denzel," Tifa said laughingly as she peered from the stairs and disappearing after that.

Reno sighed in relief and sank to a couch, fighting with his subconscious.

_See?_

'Shut up, bitch,' he thought.

_You calling me a bitch? Listen to the slut talk._

'You're really a bastard, y'know that Reno?'

_That I accept. Thanks._

'I must be going crazy.'

_Around Tifa, yes._

_Loser._

_Loser._

'_member when she said you're lame? Well, you are._

… _Douchebag. I'm grinning._

_Naw, I'm bored._

Moments after he was browsing through the channels and Denzel ran out of the door behind him. "Bye!" he called as a honk blared outside. _Sounds familiar_. That should be Barret.

"See yah, kiddo," he muttered. The door shut quietly and Reno was still pretending like there's something actually good enough to watch at that time. He continued to press the up button on the remote while dismissing the car's disappearing zoom which was paralleled by another that seemed off for a car.

A man with clear blue eyes and blond hair which was styled dangerously against gravity stepped down his bike. With a fire of determination in his eyes he walked up to the front door. Strangely enough, he paused. He shouldn't stop. He'd been there countless times already. Barging in before receiving a happy 'good morning' from Tifa and Denzel or Marlene. It had been years. He worried every single day. He had been confused for more than half his current age about his feelings and wondered about it. His feelings for her. After a long time, he realized it was no more than a normal brotherly love. Even if it was love, he wasn't going to let their friendship broken because of that.

Cloud remembered whenever they'd perform. Tifa would always fix her gaze to a certain spot. As he recalled, a redhead would always sit there. Tifa would have her confidence boosted then. She'd make the move suddenly, talking to that man in a natural way like they've been friends for years. Hecks, _he_was her best friend, not that shady man in black. Amnesia greens were handy enough. It's just he wasn't sure when it will all wear out. Hearing Yuffie happily told him the news last night sent him flying across the world, back to that place he'd called home. He'd have to thank Yuffie's naivety for being so oblivious of his hatred towards the stranger.

A voice chirped within, breaking him free from his endless pit of angst. "Reno." It was Tifa's. She sounded happy.

Reno lowered the volume and looked up – he was seeing the goddess of his dreams already. In plain white tank top, the familiar sneakers he'd seen her once with, and simple black jeans. He was pleased that she included white in her outfit. He pulled her to a bear hug and turned around with her. "Hey, here's my angel. Somehow looking at you makes me feel like…"

Tifa smiled as she reached for her jacket. "Barfing?"

"Not even close," he laughed. "Let's go."

"What are we watching?"

"Oh, you'll see—" The door opened on its own and Reno didn't see the person as a wooden instrument was heaved to his direction. An automatic response by his hands was reaching to the nearest object he could use as a weapon and a shield of sorts. As he yanked a nearby lamp, it hit the flat side of the offending appendage. His eyes widened as he realized whom he was facing. "What the…"

"…hell." Cloud furrowed his eyebrows as he pulled his guitar away. He switched his view from Tifa to the man in between them.

Tifa sucked a deep breath when she saw him. "Cloud! What a surprise. I didn't know you'd… Welcome home, Cloud."

"Tifa," he said in a low tone. He took a step forward and the couple moved back a little.

"You'd want to take a rest, right? I left your room as it is."

"Teef, I'm coming with you," he said quietly.

Tifa sighed. "It's just a movie."

"You heard me," he pressed. A movie means other things, not _just a movie_. It usually includes the whole package of cheesiness crap and all that. There was something exchanged in silence between the two men at the door as they glared at each other.

"Let 'im come, Tifa," Reno said, patting her shoulder.

"Oh, poopie," she muttered and turned to Cloud. "If you so please." Tifa took Reno's hand and went out. One thing she was happy to know was the formerly cold hand was now warm within hers. "I'm glad," she said, resting her forehead on his shoulder, sighing in contentment.

"Huh?"

It was that familiar warmth she would never forget and it was definitely the same one like when she last held it. In an attempt to annoy Cloud, she had obtained one thing that made her feel butterflies in her stomach. A close contact with Reno; a simple gesture was more than enough for the time being. "You know," she murmured close to his ear, "I remembered."

* * *

"…Tch. And miss on purpose."

"You're not even missing it on purpose! You _intend_ to hit me!"

"Whatever. I was serious about that oath. Don't you have better things to do? Like go after her for an examp—" Reno swung his fist to Cloud's head. He evaded that one neatly and retaliated by giving a frontal kick which Reno caught.

Reno snickered. "Wheelbarrow."

After exhaling a hiss, Cloud leapt and somersaulted with his free leg, kicking Reno in the process. "Bastard. You've been eyeing her. Since I noticed you start going to our performances."


	6. Chapter 6

Yuffie wondered what had she brought herself into. She was sandwiched between Vincent and Aerith. Not practically.

She recalled the event which put her in the situation she was in that moment. Aerith, yes. Aerith had called her that evening saying she would come over to her place. In a bored fashion she slipped out of the comforts of her loveseat and her door was pushed open before she had the will to reach the knob. "Aerith?"

She was standing with her arms crossed with her finger tapping on the upper right arm. "You're sooo slow!"

"You're just fast." Yuffie yawned and soon came to realize Aerith was wearing one of her best outfits, which was generally pink. "'sup?"

"I feel like dancing."

"By all means, please. But not here—" Aerith took both her hands and pulled her on circles around the living room.

"Yuffie, I said I feel like dancing!"

Yuffie struggled to make her stop and when she failed, she yelled. "Aerith, can you just tell me what's going on?!"

"Did you know I planted that bug in Tifa's phone? No, you don't. I did it right after you gave me the bug yesterday's yesterday. Oh, I'm so brilliant. And Cloud's back! I saw Fenrir right outside her home!" Aerith laughed as she slapped Yuffie's back hard.

So Cloudy boy returned. That was like, only around twelve-ish hours since she had told Cloud about Tifa. This could get interesting. Yuffie paced back and forth, holding her chin, listening to Aerith.

"And their texts were cute I almost choked."

Yuffie stopped and turned to her. "I thought you bugged…tapped, whatever, her _phone_."

"I meant her _cell_. Phone. Cell phone." Aerith pushed her bangs up and to the back, sighing in frustration. "What difference does it make?"

"Ew."

Aerith looked at her funny. "What?" she asked.

"How old are you to play this silly game?" Yuffie raised her finger in the air, making a circle.

Aerith began twiddling her thumbs and playing around with her braid end. "It isn't silly. I just want to go to where Cloud is…"

"That aside, what you did was like … voyeur."

Aerith felt her cheeks heat up and she tried covering both of them. "Yuffie!"

"That is disgusting." Yuffie grinned widely seeing Aerith try to find words for an excuse of some sort. "Aerith, you're a _bad_ girl. Like, _bad_-bad. To think that you…" – she paused, holding both her hands to her heart and her expression twisted from horrified to dejected – "oh, you pain me."

"I wasn't—I mean, I didn't… You're starting to sound like Tifa, you know that?"

"Perv."

"Argh! Now that you mention it, it does seem dirty." Aerith exhaled sharply as she walked to a sofa, deliberately clicking her heels loudly all the way. She plopped herself on it, one leg on the armrest and another on the floor. "I waited for so long but it seems Tifa never contacted Cloud even once. I was hoping she would. Then I'd get his number and we can chat day and night."

Oh boy. Yuffie hadn't expected that. _She_ had Cloud's number, which she got from Vincent, whom Cloud gave discreetly should anything happen back there. "Let's go," she said.

Aerith glanced away from the hanging mobile she had gazed within that while. "What?" she asked, her eyebrows shot up behind her bangs.

Yuffie motioned her head to the door. "You wanted to see him, right?"

"I wanted to see _them_, but _him_, mostly. So you'll come with me?" Aerith sat up straight with a free smile showing both rows of perfectly white teeth.

"I was under the impression you'd drag me into this the instant you barged in." Yuffie rolled her eyes and she sighed inwardly as she let Aerith squeeze her.

"Thanks, Yuffie."

"What are friends for?" She patted Aerith's head, almost tiptoeing up to her.

"To mess around with."

"That's what you think. You drive. I forgot to renew my license. Been taking buses and trains."

"If you weren't such a lazy bum, I would've made _you_ drive. Shall we?"

Yuffie laughed opening the door for her so that they both wouldn't have to squeeze through it. "'course."

* * *

So everything was fine and dandy, they spotted Reno's car parked in a distance, not too far away from a mall—until they met Vincent. He was wearing a smart outfit—which reminded her vaguely of Reno, also without the tie. Aerith came up to him, all cheery ever since they were in the car. As she greeted him, she smiled widely. "Hey, Vincent. What are you doing here?"

"Hey," he said. He glanced at Yuffie, who was avoiding his gaze by staring at her perfectly manicured fingernails, and kept his stare for a few seconds or so. "Nothing much. I have just finished meeting with my client. You?"

Yuffie could feel her stomach—her whole guts shrinking. That 'you' sounded like it was really meant for her.

"We're here for Cloud. He's here. I look at something small and I get something big all cause of this gadget I fixed on Tifa's cell."

"I _see_."

Aerith motioned her head towards the building. "Wanna come along?"

"I suppose I could." Vincent glanced at the main door and switched to Yuffie. "Ladies first."

_Heck, no. Leviathan says you're dead, Yuffie. And Vincent's sooo gonna decorate your head with daisies and all that_, she thought. Yuffie played around with the edges of her shirt as she made a straight face walking between Aerith and Vincent. With the clashing vibes around her, she could guess whose was stronger and disturbing; the man to her right.

"So Yuffie, why are you here?" he asked with the look which threatened her with consequences unimaginable.

"I'm just … with Aerith."

Aerith poked her head out from behind. "In actual, Yuffie and I are going to _see_ Reno and Tifa, but to be more precise I'm dragging her to see Cloud. Didn't know he'd be here—oh, could you two give me a minute or two? Nature calls."

"But Aerith, you can't leave me here with him!" Yuffie's words fell on deaf ears as she watched her friend disappear into one of the shops.

"And he's here because of what?"

Yuffie gulped a large amount of spit. "Well–I have an idea what."

"Right."

"And it involves me being awol a couple of days ago."

Vincent nodded as he hummed, signaling her to continue.

"Alright, I give up. I got that bug _by accident_. And I thought I'd utilize it for amusement purposes only so I let Aerith use it. Before you say it, I admit, I have no life in free afternoons." Yuffie gritted her teeth Vincent, at the metallic item at his ear, to be exact.

Vincent gave away one of his rare chuckles. "You noticed. The lie detector they just developed is remarkable."

"I _know_. Next time, I'll make something that nulls it. And you can't have it." Before going to the restroom she was eyeing before, Yuffie stuck her tongue out before crossing her arms in a huff.

In the last few seconds the door was close to shutting, Vincent made sure she heard, "I'll be at the atrium."

Yuffie entered the ladies' restroom with her face slightly flushed, and she was greeted by Tifa with her hands on her hips, hissing, "By accident, Yuffie?"

Aerith raised her hands and shook her hands. "I didn't tell her, I swear. I just said we'd be hanging out at the mall."

"You were just too loud outside." Tifa pulled her hair up and tied it up meticulously to a neat ponytail. "Too close and too loud." Tifa pressed the hand soap dispenser and began to wash her hand thoroughly.

"So we're cool? You don't need me pop in and say hi in the theater?"

"Oh, come on. I don't need your help." Tifa flicked Yuffie's forehead. "Yeah, we're cool. Just don't do it anymore. What do you think you'll do if someone just do crap on your privacy?"

Yuffie brushed her bangs slightly. "I'd probably use one of the multiple ways I could kill him with something small by accident," she said.

"Accident." Tifa hummed as she rolled up the mascara, which she produced from her bag, slowly on her eyelashes. "Perfect. Now give me an _arr_." She raised Yuffie's chin a little.

"Ah?"

"Cute one, Yuffie." Tifa patted her head, laughing. "I see Vincent will like that."

"You're kidding." Yuffie rolled her eyes. "But I mean it, Tifa. Someone _could_ choke on a coin or two," she said, shrugging.

"You could toss it to the hands someone more worthy of it. I don't want any accident here."

"Yeah, yeah, I get'cha, Tif. Later, girls. Oh, and Aerith, don't make it too thick. You'll look like a clown." Yuffie made her lasts steps towards the exit turn to skips as she whistled _it's a small world_ tune.

Aerith pursed her lips as her cheeks turned a shade darker. "Yuffie!" She screwed her face a little, turning to Tifa. "Tifa, do I look like a clown?"

"Not really. More like a pouting demoness," she said, laughing after Aerith landed a sharp slap on her arm. "Ouch."

Aerith proceeded to wipe off some layers of blusher she had overdone. "Are you sure with no help? I mean, my altruistic nature is still kicking in. Seeing Yuffie almost bite her fingernails worry me. We've done them not too long ago." She happily flashed hers, covered in menacing hot pink. "See?"

"I'd like to say that's her fault for that but it seems fun having Vincent on her tail. Besides, Aerith, I like to do some things on my own. Thanks, though."

"Well, if something happens, give Barret a call. I'm gonna have my hands full. One with Yuffie if she went over the top and one with Cloud if I can help it." Aerith gave her a quick hug before tossing the crumpled, used piece of wet tissue and exiting with her heels clicking.

Tifa gave one last check on her overall look. "Good luck." She sighed. "You'll need it." She exited with a cheery face and headed to the atrium where she knew her friends were there and where they would split up.

* * *

Oh look, a mouse.

The rodent then found its fate in the mouths of the hungered creatures.

Oh, yeah.

Those things started to make their way out of the manhole, making weird noises as they did.

…A set of screams.

Damn, their sound effects are bordering to sound dirty. There goes another victim; a pigeon this time.

…And another.

Here comes the antagonist to save the day. …And he charges by himself to the group of zombies. He probably doesn't know the difference between bravery and foolhardiness.

_Ahihihihihi!_

What the hell was that, a banshee? Reno had guessed right when a woman in torn white something with medusa's hair-lookalike hissing on her head. Hair or headgear, he couldn't guess.

_You have nowhere to run pretty boy! All these darlings are my creations! Surrender your skin or I'll feed you to the zombies!_

Wait, what? Skin? Odin, just how retarded was that? The hero fights and gets tossed into a closest manhole by accident. Think of all the crap the zombies made. Then the evil boss screams in rage and orders the army to find the—oh, what the heck. Reno sighed in the middle of another screaming '_aaaah_'.

The female population in the theater had displayed a good amount of mock fear. Every now and then Reno winced, afraid his eardrums might burst. It was reducing his concentration for the movie drastically until it he was completely detached. He knew what real fear was; the feeling like the object itself was staring at him, his nerves failing him, limbs petrified in spot and a heavy anchor chained around in his heart which was thumping loud enough for him to hear. Fear doesn't always make one scream. That he witnessed from Tifa who was gripping his hand from start to finish.

Although it was unnecessary for the lame movie, it was worth it.

Yep, worth it.

Seeing Strife glaring at him every now and then was worth it, too. Man, everything felt great. Tifa then excused herself and Cloud followed her in a couple of seconds after.

That looked like a bad omen.

* * *

Cloud handed her a warm canned drink. "What the hell was that?"

"Scary movie?" She drank passed the drink from hand to hand before she decided to gulp it down.

Cloud turned his back on her and waved his hand dismissively. "I told you not to go out didn't I?"

"Cloud." Tifa lowered her drink. Was that where the conversation going?

"I promised Zack—"

Tifa shot a glance at him and back at her hands. "Zack as a life on his own. I do, too."

"—that I'd take care of you."

Tifa snorted. "He asked you that? I never guessed. He was always indifferent around me."

"That's not the point here. Why is it Reno? If it's someone else, I could think it through."

"That's what you're always about, isn't it? From the beginning you made sure he would forget and I did, too. Well, you know what? I'm tired of it. I can manage on my own." She crushed the can in her fist.

"Tifa."

"If I'm stuck and have no way else, then I'd be sure to call for help. Why can't you trust more?" Tifa shoved the metal scrap to his hand and rushed to one of the small exits.

Cloud was absolutely pissed when he found out that Tifa and Reno were together. Discovering Tifa defiantly went out with someone - despite his advice before he left - had made him twitch his eyebrow. Seeing that someone was _the_ redhead, in whose drink he spiked, he let out a feral growl between his teeth. And he was not pleased when Tifa turned to Reno during the scary bits. At all. But above all, Cloud never liked to see her cry. Though he'd prefer a strong girl who'd cry occasionally – other than ones who have fair complexion like Tifa – he'd never taken a liking for tears when it came to her. "What have I done?"

Reno stepped up next to him. "You screwed up, that's what."

"I was just…" Cloud tossed the empty can to a red bin.

"I wouldn't know since I don't have any siblings. Cissnei or Elena might count but … if I were to be in your shoes, I'd go easy on her. She's a big girl."

"… Guess so. Actually, I vowed to punch her first boyfriend in the face."

_First_? So he was her first? He didn't have time to celebrate. "Dude, can you get any more overpro—" A fist connected to his jaw and he couldn't evade on time. "What the fuck, man!"

"…Tch. And miss on purpose."

"You're not even missing it on purpose! You _intend_ to hit me!"

"Whatever. I was serious about that oath. Don't you have better things to do? Like go after her for an examp—" Reno swung his fist to Cloud's head. He evaded that one neatly and retaliated by giving a frontal kick which Reno caught.

Reno snickered. "_Wheelbarrow_. However gay that looks like."

After exhaling a hiss, Cloud leapt and somersaulted with his free leg, kicking Reno in the process. "Bastard. You've been eyeing her. Since I noticed you start going to our performances."

Reno blinked, brushing off the dusts on his front. "So _that's_ what it is. The cat's out of the bag. You knew she's my target."

"Damn right, I knew. Your uniform gave it away. Whose stupid idea is it to go hunting people with a dead giveaway?"

"A client's request. Your band's rival. Said kill Tifa Lockhart. As for the stupid—" Reno ducked a horizontally launched kick, that which he had seen Tifa used twice against him. "—idea, 'twas mine!" He backflipped a few times away from the combo of attacks Cloud was sending, before crashing into set of dusty mannequins in a corner. "Damn."

Cloud leapt forward to him, wringing the front of his shirt. "Reject it. After all, you should have some rules –"

"I did, moron. Told Vinny I'd quit it," Reno said quietly as he raised his head and sighed heavily. "The more I watched over her, the more I couldn't do it."

Cloud said nothing as he walked to him slowly … and punched his stomach in a swift succession. "What're you waiting for? Go after her before you lose an arm or a leg. Make sure she's home before two," he said, heading to the main doors after he picked up his jacket.

"Dammit, he pulled his punches till the last one," Reno said, rubbing his pained stomach as he jogged to the small back exit.

* * *

Tifa eyed left and right of the alleyway. From where she was standing only a lone light bulb blinked back at her above a chained door a few steps in front of her, moths flitting to its white surface. The light only managed to illuminate a small section of the area. To her left was what she assumed a dead end and to her right was her only exit, lit pale orange by a streetlight. For a moment she stood on her spot, fisting her hands and switching her gaze from the light bulb, to the road on the right and finally to the sky. It was veiled faintly by clouds, leaving holes here and there free. Not only Cloud or Reno needed to cool their heads off, she, too needed it.

For the first few steps, she forced her legs forward, wary of the claustrophobic air around her. _Tifa, you shouldn't go to the dark. Who knows what might jump on you._ Cloud had told her that countless times when they were kids.

She shouldn't have used the back exit, moreover, left her jacket inside. Sucking a deeply a portion of air and exhaling it slowly, she let her tension relax, feeling the suffocating sensation slowly wash away from her.

For the first few steps, she forced her legs forward, wary of the two source of light she was at the same time closing in on and increasing the distance from. Somewhere after she had begun to walk firmly in the dark she heard the door she had abandoned, open and close. She turned her head rapidly to it, letting out a small gasp as she hid behind some crates.

No one, nothing—but there was something 'off'. A cold presence in the dark. Tifa hid back and planned her next step in a rush of heightened emotion—whether to just casually walk away or run for it. It was then she heard it, a slight shuffle and a low half-whisper right behind her.

"Hey, you."

It was clearly a male's.

.

.

.

a.n. Yes, took me long enough to reach the word _cinema_, right? Sorry bout that. Dx I've been away for so long. I'm going to hide now. …I'll get back here once I've sorted out everything.


	7. Chapter 7

Tifa swept her leg low, effectively tripping the man down with a loud thud and a pained hiss from him. She began to sprint when her right foot was jammed in the chains of the remains of a bicycle—anchoring her down to gravity. As she pushed herself up, she spared a quick glance in the dark just to see nothing. Tifa pulled out her foot from her shoe when she had fisted the whole chains away. "Damn it," she muttered through her teeth as she scrambled up and turned to her opponent. His soles ground slowly against the asphalt as each step seemingly screamed '_dangerous man approaching'_.

In an act of desperation, Tifa hauled the whole metallic scrap and threw it in a great force towards the man. A metallic screech sounded in a split second after that told her he'd managed to dodge it. _In the dark? What the hell?_ After recovering her shoe, she felt a sudden change of air movement to her front and she backflipped, hitting him successively and forcing impact on her pained ankle. She grabbed what she thought was his arm and rapidly turned him, locking him from behind.

"I might call this hissing hot if I could see you now…and you weren't on the verge of breaking my arm, hotness."

She knew that voice. Tifa released her grip on his arm, squinting hard in the dark. "Reno?"

"Ten points. Took you long enough."

Tifa sighed as she heard a hinted smile at the last statement. How very like him. "Sorry. Precaution." She watched him rub his wrist. "Thanks to you, I kinda twisted my ankle." She slid down to the floor in a heavy breath.

"So are you just going to run away after confessin' to me?" Reno held out his hand to her.

"I—" Tifa opened her mouth and closed it instantly before pursing her lips. "I don't understand what you are saying."

"Naw, Tifa, it's perfect English."

"Context, please." Tifa pulled herself up with the help of aimlessly digging the nearest wall but she lost her balance after a couple of tries of stepping forward.

Reno let out a snort. "_Whatever_, troll. You just said _you_ _remembered_. Then you played that classic playin' hard to get." He shrugged squatted down next to her. "I figured I'd get the answer from you sooner or later."

"Why are you here?" she asked with a frown on her face. Reno successfully raised her up in triumph after a few tries of blocking her swats.

"_Can't I_?" he replied; out loud. Seeing her no longer fight back, Reno grinned and firmly held her in place. "Ever heard of gut feeling?" Tifa watched him carefully, dissolving his words in.

"Like a wolf's?" she asked after a few seconds, blinking.

He only replied after what it seemed like forever, when he was done – probably never – taking in the sight of her adorably confused look. "No, like a lion's." He'd have to resist sliding his hand for even a minimal distance at her side to see her reaction. "That's what I felt. That feeling that your stomach's clawed from the inside."

She frowned. A lion? _Him_? "Doesn't make a difference. An animal's just an animal," she said.

"That's where you're wrong."

"Enlighten me, nature boy."

"'_mkay_. A wolf is scientifically canis while lions are feli—"

"Reno," she said, still looking at the dimly lit road ahead of them. She was actually thankful for his presence, his help … but there were times she'd appreciate silence. "Just walk." Her ankle hurt no more and the evil side of hers sprung to life, refusing to let go of him.

Smirking, Reno answered with, "Only if I get to bring you for another date."

Tifa didn't say a word but she remained wordless as Reno guided her out to the main street. "I take it as a yes." Reno grinned as he saw the slightly darkened hue on her cheeks as she lowered her head. "The beach?"

She shook her head, indicating a 'no'. Reno stopped abruptly and slid his arm off her and he began shuffling forward, leaving her panic-stricken and planting her palm onto the brick wall. _5… 4…_

"How dare you," she said with her voice quivering, leaping forward with the last ounce of energy she had and clung onto him.

Well, that didn't take long. He had only counted until four. "How dare _I_?" he asked, faking his shocked expression as he watched her from his right. "Dare I what?"

"Just… Don't leave me alone, stupid," she whispered, nuzzling her face on his neck and Reno couldn't stop a small, excited shudder from surfacing. "Or I'll make sure you regret knowing me."

"Am I supposed to answer that with a '_yes, ma'am'_?" He chuckled…and whined when Tifa jabbed his side. They reached the open space and much to Reno's surprise, Tifa let go of him immediately. Lightning flashed, zigzagging down from the sky and Reno silently counted the distance of thunder—

Crack—boom!

During that interval, Tifa's hold retuned to him … and was that a gasp he heard? "_Heh_. Look at you. I wonder what else I could scare you with to avoid you letting go. Maybe … another horror movie on a stormy night?"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you, Re—"

Another rumble escaped – louder this time – from the clouds and that made his grin grow deeper.

"Kyaa!"

Oh, that must've been heaven for him. "Yes ma'am." He grinned. They finally reached the parking lot and the thunders were getting distant while the rain began to gently plop down, slowly washing everything and releasing the smell of a crisp, summer night. "Say…"

"W-What?"

"Sing." He paused, "you sing, right? So sing for me."

Tifa released him and backed away a little. "No way. I have a sore throat."

"Excuses, Tifa. I'm not buying that." A honking car whizzed right behind them and she yelped, again holding onto him for dear life. "Should I put something along the lines of 'busy traffic' in the list too? A good material to blackmail you with."

Tifa sighed exasperatedly.

"Then sing," he said after copying her sigh.

Tifa slowly made her way to his car front. She decided against the thought of singing a simple nursery rhyme as she did the chorus of a random song. Reno had always shivered involuntarily - and often, his hair would stand on end - listening to her voice.

Nothing changed, he thought. She hit the notes correctly in all parts, just as he expected her to. "I've decided," he said when she finished.

"On what?"

"Movie it is, then. For the next date."

"Hey, I thought you're going to ask to join the band!"

"Was going to. You beat me to it, babe."

"Then, …play the bass."

Reno smirked inwardly. They went through that already. He could always silence her in his own surprising way. "Bass, I could— …you're not doing this on purpose, are you? If I'm some sort of replacement _companion_-wise, I don't want to do it."

Tifa laughed softly. "Who said you are? You're my Reno, that's who you are."

Reno gawked. "I'm what?"

"I say the least important ones _once_."

Reno towered over her, silently urging her to repeat. "I do believe that one just now is a hell lot significant, _Teef_."

"Not as important as this: I have a mind to give you a last name, Reno." Reno's eyes widened and wondered whether his ears were playing a trick on him. That was a dead giveaway. A clear hint.

That rather hopeful thought was seemingly shattered about with, "I dub thee Sir Reno Moonworthy." She laughed, collecting the rainwater in her hands and splashing it to his face before she sat on the hood, leaving him to wipe his face … but what was there to wipe when the rain intensified?

"Arr. You'll _pay_ for that."

"With what?" she asked. "Shame on you, robbing a poor woman of-of…" Her voice trailed off when Reno closed the already-too-little space between them with just a few strides, and gently touched their foreheads together; and with just that, she was beginning to get lost in his eyes.

"Of her fourth kiss, I reckon." A small smirk graced his lips before he planted a chaste kiss upon Tifa's, relishing the touch and the small gasp she made. What seemed like a purely innocent kiss had turned to something much more – deeper, meaningful and expressive.

The female elicited a purr without warning before proceeding to tug his tamed strings of flames gently. Satisfied of her achievement as of getting an irresistible growl out of Reno, she broke the kiss with a soft smile adorning her face. "Mm. I still like my first one better. It's yummier. There's passion fruit." Tifa laughed. "So, are you going to take me home?"

"One more?" he whispered, aware of himself leaning forward to her – which reminded him of a memory he had treasured. The first time they met after the separation due to a meddlesome blond. Or was it their dance? Heck, he didn't care nor did he regret any of it. Unfortunately for him, she pushed him away as she stood up carefully. He watched her lift her head, savoring the cool pellets of water, and shook his head when she motioned him to join her.

"_Come_ _on_, Reno." He refused yet again; watching her was more than enough to make him feel content. Although, the pleading look she was giving him that moment _almost_ persuaded him … but she only managed to make him raise an eyebrow. That and a slow smirk she deemed dangerous for her, it seemed—for she cleared her throat after noticing that.

_Score_.

After a few tries of acting cute in front of him, Tifa then bent down to him slowly, with a sole purpose in mind as her cleavage and a faint trace of black, lacy material came to his view. She smirked when he was dumbfounded with his jaws hanging and his throat parched. "Insatiable, are we?"

_Leave her alone_? She won't let him. … He wouldn't, anyways. Not even in the rain. —for what they were in now was not just simply love.

_Something_ … that unexplainable feeling of wanting to be the everything for each other. And that was more than love. It was just the beginning of everything. By then Reno had changed his mind … their next date would definitely on the beach and that's set. White dress and all. With Tifa busy nipping his lips to her heart's content, he knew they'd never get to the car any quickly at that rate and he knew if they'd taken that further, he'd get an full preach from Strife.

In that rain, it was Cloud's turn to walk away with his eyes to the sky before looking down low, disrupting every puddle as he went. He shrugged off his wet jacket inside the foyer.

"Cloud?"

He spun to meet the person. "Aerith."

"Are you okay? I mean, I didn't mean to watch…" Aerith clasped her hands tightly as she her lips failed her.

Cloud thudded his boots as he let his legs drag him towards her. "I'm tired," he said, resting his head on her shoulder. Aerith slowly raised her hand to his back, slowly patting him.

"Should we go somewhere else?" she asked, smiling slightly. "I have my car nearby."

"Yeah." He pulled himself up and slicked back the whole front hair to the back, one strand going back to the front and he leaned on one of the postered wall, folding his mess of a jacket carelessly in his hands.

"Oh!"

Cloud hummed in question as he saw Aerith look at him with one hand brought close to her mouth. "Something you'd like to do first?"

"No, it's nothing." Aerith laughed. "You remind me of this artist somewhere… Let's go. Yuffie can get home with Vincent." The two of them left with one huge puddle on the tiled floor and one wet patch on the poster, giving the words – and the picture itself – '_Zack Fair'_ a wrinkly effect.

-- -- --

_Reno:_

_Morning, babe. What r u wearing?_

_-_

_Tifa:_

_Nothing. I'm just going to get a shower. :D_

_-_

_Reno:_

_Sounds hot. ;)_

_-_

_Tifa:_

_Reno, sugar._

_-_

_Reno:_

_?_

_-_

_Tifa:_

_What r we doing?_

_-_

_Reno:_

_We're texting. That's what. :)_

_Scratch that. We r gna do sexting, right?_

_(y)(y)_

_-_

_Tifa:_

_Right. U're wasting my credit._

_My question should be: what r u doing?_

_-_

_Reno:_

_Ur credit's low? It's getting old. __U're so cold. ): My heart breaks._

_So pls remove ur arrow and kiss it to make it better. ;D_

_N what I'm doing is trying to picture u right here right now._

_-_

_Tifa:_

_Yes, it is. Ur fault it's old._

_O, I heard that somewhere from someone before. He's sexy as sin._

_Don't worry, I get the hint. XD_

_-_

_Reno:_

_Is he sexier than me?_

_N orly? My lips hurt too. :D_

_Me demand kiss for that. Omnomnomnom._

_-_

_Tifa:_

_Shut up n get ur lazy ass here, cookie monstah._

_-_

_Reno:_

_OMNOM :D_

_-_

Reno catapulted off the bed and padded to the bathroom which he was greeted by layers of steam, scent of some sort and Tifa with one hand holding her cell phone and another holding the edges of an almost see-through material she covered her body with.

That was _nothing_?

It was then, she turned. Beads of water droplet rolled down her slender neck and along the soft curves all around. She looked simply inviting. "Oh goodie. You're late, though," she said, placing her cell somewhere dry.

"_Oh goodie_?" he said after a while, choking between some words, and at the same time feeling the growing appreciation in his pants. "I think _I_ made a monster. Really."

"A pretty one."

Reno grinned mostly to himself. There was no saying no to that one. "The way you think."

"Oh, sugar, the way you love me," she said, smiling still – and bit back a surprised 'eep' as he carried her in one swift motion.

"There's no need for bashfulness even if it appeals more, babe." Well, his prettily blushing mons—angel in white lingerie wasn't bad after all. Even after he had finally made her promise to go out in white to the beach the day after. He was so looking forward to that. _This_? This was just unexpected. The lingerie would have to go and he'd make sure his teeth would work well with those.

But according to his sanity level as she called it, tickle game comes first.

"Ah! Reno, no, please—"

"Nom. Mmm, vanilla."

**End**.

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a.n. I had a hard time imagining Cloud with his hair done to the back like Zack's. So I drew him out on a piece of scrap paper and he vaguely reminds me of Sonic. Lolwth. Yes, I did thought of putting this in a one shot but that might just kill your eyes. But.

Thanks for reading mai amateur writing and hope you enjoyed this lolololo.

-k


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